Detachable vehicle-seat back.



H. EGNER. DBTAOHABLE VEHIGLE'SEAT BACK. APPLICATION I'ILED H0125, 1907.

I 7 907,325 Patented Dec. 22.1908.

: WY/nessss.

a @rm THt NORRIS Irrsns cm, WASHINGTON. o. c.

HENRY EGNER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DETACHABLE VEHICLE-SEAT BACK.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application filed November 25, 1907. Serial No. 403,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY EGNER, a citi zen of the United States, andresiding at Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented.certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Vehicle Seat Backs;and I do declare the following to bea clear, full, and exact descriptionof the inven tion, attention beingcalledito the accompanying drawing,with the reference characters marked thereon, which forms also a part ofthis specification.

This invention concerns topped vehicles like buggies, run-abouts,phaetons, cabs, cabriolets, cartsand certain types of surreys, carriagesand wagons. In. all or most all of such vehicles the top is connected toand supported above the seat and arranged to be detachable therefrom, sothat it may be re moved when there is no need or desire for. its use.Tops are bulky affairs and possess little rigidity of their own, forwhich reason they cannot be conveniently handled after detached and donot readily hold their sha e. To overcome this difliculty and instead ofbe ing taken off independently, they are in many cases removed with theso-called seatrail, an intermediate frame-member to which the top isattached and by which in turn it is connected to the seat, so that, whenremoval of the top is desired, top and seat-rail remain connected andare detached. together from the seat. The top so removed. withtheseatrail from the vehicle is now held in shape by the seat-rail to whichit remains connected. This is satisfactory when the seat-rail is in onepiece and extends continuously from one side aroundthe rear of the seatto the other side forming a rigid, yokeshaped frame. When the seat-railis in two dlsconnected sections, one on each side only and notcontinuous around the rear of the seat, as is often the case, removal inthe aforesaid mannor does not Work well, because the two disconnectedseat-rail sections do not form a rigid frame. Nor can it be donesatisfactorily where the seat is provided with a back,

which is generally the case, because such remaining in position on theseat.

sired, this latter is neither independently I removed nor removed withthe seat-rail, but

seat, top, and seat-rail which connects both of them all are removedtogether, the top This requires however an extra seat without a top, totake the place of the seat so removed.

I simplify matters and do away with the requirement of an extra seat insuch cases Where the presence of a back, by reason of its particularconnection, interferes with, or prevents the convenient detachment ofthe seat-rail from the seat, or where a sectional seat-rail, even if itcould be detached from the seat independently of a back, wouldnevertheless fail to hold the top to its shape after both have beendetached from the seat because of the rail not being a continuousstructure. I accom lish this by providing certain means an by soarranging seat, seatrail and back that the mere detachment of theseat-rail from the seat carries also the back with it, seat-rail andback being for this pur ose connected to each otherindependent y of theseat so as to come off together as a whole they remaining permanentlyconnected at all times, whether in position on, or detached from theseat. Therefore if now under my im roved arrangement, removal of the topis esired, it is only necessary to detach the seat-rail to which the topis connected from the seat, said seat-rail then car rying top and backwith it. The seat remains in place and no extra seat is required. Theback, which remains in connection with the seat-rail, furnishes the samerigidity for the purpose of holding the removed top to shape while notin use, as an entire seat would do and therefore it is furtherimmaterial whether the seat-rail is a continuous one, reaching aroundall three sides of the seat, or whether it is merely a sectional one,provided, on the sides of the seat only and therefore otherwiseinsuflicient to hold the top rigid. If a back is now desired on theseat, to take the place of the one removed therefrom with the seat-railand top, an extra back may be provided which has a similar seat-railarranged to readily fit the seat to which it is to be connected. Thus,as will, be readily seen, in vehicles having seats with backs, therequirement of having to keep on hand two complete seats, one of whichcarries a top, is done away with by my arrangement which permits removalof the top without disturbing the seat.

The invention consists of the particular means and their constructionwhereby a back and a seat-rail are connected to each other in a mannerthat both together and as a whole may be readily connected to, ordetached from a vehicle-seat, so that a top in case one is carried bythe seat-rail simply follows this latter.

The invention also consists of the particular means and theirconstruction whereby these two sets of connected parts may be quicklyand conveniently removed from, or attached to the seat, all without theuse of tools and interchanged, the one set comprising seat-rail and backonly, with the set in cluding also the top, and vice versa.

In the following specification and particularly pointed out in theclaims at the end thereof, will be found a full description of myinvention, together with its manner of use, parts and their constructionwhich latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a side-elevation of a vehicleseat with a back in position.Fig. 2, is a vertical section through this back and through a portion ofthe seat. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of a part of each, of the seatand of its back, which latter is shown detached. Fig. 4, is an enlargedview of the rear part of the seat-rail used in connection with this backand seat. part of the seat with certain parts in section, i lustratesmanipulation for connecting or detaching the back. Fig. 6, is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4, and illustrates particularly how the rear part of theseat-rail is attached to the upper art of the seat. Figs. 7, 8, and 9,in vertica sectional detail views throu h one side of the seat,illustrate manner of Iocking for connecting and unlockin for detaching,the front-part of the seat-rai Fig. 10, in an enlarged, horizontal,sectional detail-view illustrates how the seat-rail is locked inposition after attached. Fig. 11, in a perspective view shows at reducedscale, the back and seat-rail with the vehicle-top in position butdetached from the seat.

A, is the cushion of the seat contained within the box-shaped seat-frameof which a, indicates one of the sides, and a, is the rearside. Bracketsare connected to the inner side of the sides, preferably by bolts, therebeing two brackets on the rear-side, one being shown at B, and two oneach side at B, and at B These brackets project above the upper edges ofthe sides to which they are connected and extend horizontally outwardlytherefrom as shown at b. This projecting horizontal part of thesebrackets is slotted,

Fig. 5, in a side view of the upper Y the slots in the brackets B, onthe rear-side and in brackets B, on the sides next to the rear-sidebeing parallel to each other and parallel to the sides of the seat asshown at 13. The slots in brackets B near the front of the seat arearranged at right angles to these slots first mentioned and as shown at14.

C, is the cushion of the back and c, is the back-proper on which theformer is supported. Angle-braces 15, are attached to the front-side ofback 0, and extend out below and horizontally rearwardly around thelower edge thereof. These braces are so spaced on the back that theirhorizontally projecting portions come to a seat upon the horizontalportion 1), of brackets B, on the rear-side of the seat. These portionsof the braces have circular openings 16, the centers of which, when theback is in position, register with the longitudinal center lines ofslots 13, in top part b, of these rear-brackets. (See Fig. 6.)

D, is the longer part or side of the socalled seat-rail which latterserves as the medium whereby the detachable connection of the back tothe seat is accomplished and to which also top 17, is connected as shownin Fig. 11. It may be a continuous rail form ing a yoke-shaped frameextending from one side of the seat around the back to the other side asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, or it may be in two sections whichextend along the upper edge of the seat on each side thereof as shown atD, and which reach also partly around the back as shown at d, in saidfigure. These longer portions D, are also provided with studs 1818,which project outwardly from the sides thereof as shown in Figs. 3, and5, and serve for attachment of the top 17 in the usual way as shown inFig. 11.

Seat-rail and back 0, are connected to each other by braces constitutedby arm-rests E, which latter at their upper ends are secured to the backas shown at 6. At their lower ends they are perforated and engaged by astud 19, projecting upwardly from the upper edge of the seat-rail nearits front-end as best shown in Fig. 5, and integral therewith. This studprojects through and beyond this perforation and receives a nut 21, atits end whereby the connection is completed as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.In addition to this, the seat-rail at its short part (Z, and back a, arealso held together by the horizontalpart of braces 15, which projectsoutwardly be yond the lower edge of the back and is fitted d, of theseatrail. In addition there is a boss 23, on the seat-rail whichprojects into the circular opening 16, in said brace, so that theposition of the engaged parts, brace 15, and seat-rail part d, isdefined in a horizontal direction. Seat-rail and back connected to Ieach other as described are also connected to into a notch 22, on theunderside of said parts the seat, this connection being a detachable oneby hooks 24, 25 and 26, which project from the underside of, theseat-rail on each side (hooks 26 projecting from bosses 23) and alladapted to pass into the slots in the horizontal parts I), of bracketsB, B, and B These hooks consist each of an u right shank and ahorizontal projection at t 1e lower end of the same. These projectionsare arranged parallel to the slots in the brackets which they areintended to enter and they are of a length nearly equal to the length ofthese slots so that they may freely pass in.

Fig. 5, illustrates manner of attachment of combined seat-rail and backtogether to the sides of the seat. The parts to be attached are firstbrought above the seat in a position as shown in Fig. 3, after which therear part of the seat rail with the back is lowered as shown in Fig. 5,so that hooks 24, may enter slots 13, in brackets B, on the rear part ofthe seat. The front-part of the seat-rail is now still more lowered sothat hooks 25, may also enter their slots in brackets B, on the sides ofthe seat next to the rear-brackets, see Fig. 5, noting also Fig. 6. Theseatrail is now pulled forward, see dotted lines in Fig. 5, which causesthe shanks of hooks 24 and 25, to move forward in the slots which I theyoccupy, while at the same time the projections on their lower ends passunder and engage the horizontal parts 6, of these brackets in a manneras shown in Figs. 1, and 2. This brings hooks 26, and the horizontalarts thereof which are in a position with re ation to slots 14, in thebrackets below, as shown in Fig. 7, also sufficiently forward to bringthem fully above these slots and permits them to be lowered into them asshown in Fig. 8, see also Fig. 1, and dotted lines in Fig. 5. It willnow be readily understood that as soon as hooks 26, have entered slots14, in brackets B hooks 25, and 24 become locked in position in theslots of the other brackets, that is they cannot move rearwardly again,or become disengaged. It only remains now to also lock hooks 26, inslots 14, to complete the attachment of the seatrail. This is done byspring-snaps F, provided one on each side of the seat and belowfront-brackets B They are connected in a suitable manner as best shownin Figs. 7, 8, and 9, being bent over the upper edge and down on theinside of sides a, of the seat, so as to lie under the connected part ofbrackets B The bolts, or one of them, whereby these brackets areconnected, serve also in each case to connect these springs. Where onlyone of the bolts is so used, a screw 27, is substituted in each case forthe other bolt, the head of such screw being covered by the brackets.'The upper horizontal part of each of these springs which lies under thehorizontal part b, of brackets B has a slot f, which in length equalsslot 14, in part b, above and also registers with the same transversely,see Figs. 3, 5, and 10. Longitudinally it is out of alinement as shownin Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, so that a part of the solid part of the springcloses a part of the slot 14, in member I), see Figs. 7, and 10. Whenhook 26, is lowered into slot 14, it encounters this solid part of thespring, and when pressure is applied from above it depresses the springas shown in Fig. 8, which depression continues until the point of thehook has passed clear through slot 14, in the bracket and becomes freeto pass under the same. This movement releases also the spring andpermits the same to return to its normal position against the undersideof the bracket. See Fig. 9. In doing this the spring closes in over thehook, engaging the same in its slot and holds it .locked by confining itclosely against movement in any direction. There is sufiicient yield inthe forward parts of the seat-rail to permit the spring by its reaction,when returningto normal position, to force said hook outwardly and underthe bracket as soon as it has cleared slot 14, so that downward pressureby the manipulator is in most cases suflicient to effect the engagement.Lateral, that is outward, pressure may however be added at the same timeif necessary to aid the springs to find the looking position. When solocked, the shanks of hooks 26, occupy the outer part of slots 14, asshown in Figs. 9, and 10, while the hooked projections thereon occupyslots f, in the spring-snaps below. It will be noted, when the seat-railis so attached, that braces 15, of back 0, are also firmly held inposition between the rear parts d, of the seat-rail above them, and bybrackets B below, to which they are held by lugs 24. Detachment proceedsin reverse order and in a similar man.- ner. Hooks 26, are firstunlocked from engagement by spring-snaps F, by depressing. these latter,which is readily done, since the outer ends of these springs projectbeyond the ends of brackets B, where they are accessible without beingin the way. The front-ends of the seat-rails are at the same timemanipulated so that hooks 26, move first inwardly in slots 14, ofbracket B until they become free to be raised out therefrom, after whichthe seat-rail is pushed rearwardly as shown in Fig. 5, until lugs 25,and 24 become also free to be lifted out of the slots in brackets B, andB. The seat-rail is free. now and may be lifted off clear of the seat asshown in Fig. It will now be seen that if use of top 1.7, is to bedispensed with, it is not necessary to disconnect it from studs 18, onthe seat-rail, or to remove the seat to get the top away from thevehicle, but the seat-rail only, with the top remaining in position onit, is disconnected and removed together with the back. This leaves theseat without a back as shown in Fig. 3, in which condition however itmay still be used as a seat.

If a back is desired, one may be provided as shown in Fig. 1, theseat-rail of which need not be provided with studs 18,18, to permitconnection of a top, but otherwise as to the attaching means it isprecisely of the same construction and arrangement as the removed rail,so that one back and its seatrail may be readily interchanged with asimilar set and connected to the seat. My arrangement also permits thetop, when removed, to remain in raised position as shown in Fig. 11,which is quite an advantage, since it is thus held to its shape. This ismade possible because its relation with reference to the seat-rail onwhich it is supported and its connection thereto is in no way disturbed.Neither is the connection of arm-braces E, disturbed, at any time, noris the seat disturbed at any time, and when no extra back is desired noduplicate parts are required whatsoever. The locking means, spring snapsF, need not be duplicated since they remain in position on the seat andserve to lock either one of the detachable sets in position. Havingdescribed my invention, I claim as new:

1. The combination of a vehicle-seat-back, a seat-rail adapted to beconnected to a vehicle seat and consisting of two parallel parts whichextend forward of'theback and reach also around to the rear of thislatter where they are notched out on their underside, and

braces attached to the back and projecting rearwardly therefrom and intothe notches mentioned whereby they are confined in position.

2. The combination of a vehicle-seat-back, a seat-rail adapted to beconnected to a vehicle-seat and consisting of two parallel parts whichextend forward of the back and reach also around to the rear of thislatter where they are notched out on their underside, and

braces whereby both are connected, there being two braces which projectforwardly of the back and are attached to the seat-rail near its forwardends, and two braces which extend rearwardly from the back and into thenotches of the seat-rail mentioned in which they are confined.

3. The combination of a vehicle-seat having brackets projectingoutwardly over its upper edge, there being two brackets proj ectingrearwardly and others projecting laterally and all of which are slotted,a seat-rail adapted to rest on these brackets and having hooks on itsunder-side which engage these brackets through the slots therein, partof the underside of the seat-rail above the rearbrackets being notchedout, a back and braces which extend rearwardly from the lower edge ofthe same into these notches on the seat-rail, so as to occupy a positionbetween the seat-rail and the brackets below, they being also perforatedto permit the hook on the seat-rail to pass through and to engage thebracket below.

4. The combination of a vehicle-seat having brackets projectingoutwardly from its upper edge which are slotted, a back having bracesprojecting rearwardly from its lower edge which rest upon the bracketson the rear side of the seat and have perforations which register withthe slots in these brackets, a seat-rail also resting on these brackets,it being notched out above the rear-brackets, to clear the bracesthereat and provided with bosses fitted to occupy the perforation inthese braces and hooks on the underside of the seat-rail adapted toengage the brackets through their slots whereby the seat rail is held inplace on the brackets and holds thereby also the braces on the back inposition between them.

HENRY EGNER. Signed in presence of C. SPENGEL, T. LE BEAN.

